The move to digital should have been done a long time ago. In fact, I thought they were doing it late 2011. Either way, from what I learned, this move will free up a lot of cable channels leading to higher Internet speeds, faster uploads, etc.

Here on the west coast, shaw has phased out all the extra channels from analog with the long term goal of removing basic cable as well.

For every analog channel removed they can add 3 HD channels. It creates more room for more internet space. It makes sense and while I'm usually anti cableco's. If we want to see expansion on HD and internet capabilities. It's the way to go.

Am I missing something here? Doesn't this just mean Rogers is moving their basic analog channels to digital so if you are rocking an older television without a QAM tuner, you won't be able to decode them? Thus what the device Rogers is giving out is for?

Almost all tvs made after 2006 have a built in QAM tuner, so unless you are on basic cable and using an old school CRT, this shouldn't be an issue, right? You will just need to run auto-scan for CADTV channels after the switch, I think.

I think Rogers has a bunch of digital music channels already on CADTV, so isn't this just where all the regular basic channels will be moving too?

I logged into my rogers account and it had this message as well. Just wondering, what is this so called digital adapter? (by the description in the letter it seems like a small set top box since it has a remote)
so
Option 1 get a free digital adapter
Option 2 pay for a set top box

I'm guessing the digital adapter won't have the upper channels.

Edit...
So I went online again to check this thing out. Looks like I could only order a max of 2 adapters. According to the picture, they look like a small set top box.

Does anyone know if the Motorola DCT 6200 box can be used with Rogers? Or in fact, are there any other boxes that can be used with Rogers?

The CSR said only Rogers boxes can be used, but I'm not sure I believe her.

Also, does anyone know if there is a cutoff date where even the basic analogue channels will be cutoff?

Yes it can. It does not need to have originated from a Rogers source at all. They are not exclusive to Rogers. Comcast uses them in the States. The same goes for Motorola SB5100 model modems. I have activated Shaw purchased units here in New Brunswick.

As long as the box serial is not attached to another active account, you simply need to have it added to your account and to an existing cable television outlet. It is no different to buying a box from the store and activating it at home.

Be advised that they do not work on the Ontario system (they use Scientific Atlanta or Cisco receivers I believe). They do however work in New Brunswick and Newfoundland. I installed one yesterday.

It is true that by removing the analogue lineup more bandwidth will be freed for the digital QAMS and for internet bandwidth. This means less trap calls (for filters) for the technicians and no more ripping the filters out for the thieves to get extra channels as the boxes will automatically assign and dictate channel line up, if they anything like the existing DCTs. Distributing analogue television has always been expensive and I believe actually loses cable cos. money over all as it is so expensive to maintain.

In reference paying for extra outlets consider this; when ever a customer rigs them up with splitters of the wrong frequency range, of a poor quality, backwards or with crap crimp connectors that are loose, that causes interference which back feeds into the cable system distribution and gets amplified by the same amps used to push signal to your house. I'm not saying that it is right or wrong to pay for them, many don't, but if a guy has to travel around in a maintenance van with a leakage detector at $25+ per hour to find the one house generating that interference over days, over weeks, it starts to get pretty expensive. At least if a person pays for them to be installed it should be done so properly with the correct hardware. Also they are then able to call warranty on that wiring if it is damaged too. Digital adapters will pull all the wiring with poor signal out of the wood work pretty quickly anyway.

I cannot wait for the service calls to start rolling out as a result of this move.

1. Channels up to 26 or 27 (depending on where you are) are still analog.

2. The Digital Adapter is like an old school converter and looks like this:

3. If you read the letter it says that you need to be paying for outlets that are not using a digital box that go past channel 26/27 to get a free adapter. It says you will lose SOME of your channels meaning 26/27 and up.

4. If you have splitters galore and are paying for one outlet that goes past channel 26/27 on analog, you get one adapter. If you were paying for 4 outlets that don't go past channel 26/27, you don't get any adapter(s).

5. In regards to charging extra for outlets, there must be some way that they have to pay for how many people can view a channel. If you had a channel feed you sold to a cable company, wouldn't you demand to be paid more if they sold the viewing capability to 1 000 000 customers instead of 10 customers?

6. Certain parts of the network supports specific equipment and any of the equipment on the network comes from the provider only, in Rogers case. If you buy your own equipment and try to put it on the network, they will say no unless it came from someone they provide the equipment to...